Electric toaster



R. BARKER ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed Feb. 4, 1942 .Illll Il Jan. 30, 1945.

INVENTOR.,

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 30,1945

UNITED STATES APATENT DFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relatesftoA an electric appliance for toastingslices of bread and the like.

'I'he principal object of the invention is to provide a toaster withwhich is combined means for keeping the to'ast warm after it is made. Asecondary object is to so construct the warming element as to make itusable when desired for additional toasting or broiling. Other objectsare to provide an appliance that is quick and convenient to use,economical in its use of electric power, simple in construction, easy tokeep clean, and which toasts or cooks evenly the entire surface of thebread or other food product. Still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from the following description, whichshould be read with the understanding that changes, within the scope ofthe claims hereto appended, may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the several parts, without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as defined in said claims.

The invention may be embodied in an appliance of any desired size,either a large commercial unit for restaurant use or a small unit forhome use on the breakfast table. For purposes of illustration, a smalltable unit is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electrical heating elements and theircircuits.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 6 designates an enclosing shell,which also acts as a supporting frame, having a base 1. 'I'he shell isprovided in its-upper portion with one or more vertical slots 8, twobeing shown, for the reception of slices of bread in vertical position.Electric toasting elements 9 are mounted vertically within the shell oneach side of each slot 8, so that both sides of each slice of bread aretoasted simultaneously. 'I'he toasting elements 9 may be of any usualconstruction, and are mounted on insulating supports in any usualmanner, not shown.

Vertical screens I are secured to the shell on each side of each slot.These screens are preferably in the form of grids, with large or openmesh in order not to interfere unduly with the passage of radiant heatfrom the toasting elements 9 to the slices of bread. Their purpose is toguide and support the sides of the slices and prevent them from comingtoo close to the toasting elements, thereby insuring even toasting. Ahorizontal partition I I is mounted in the shell beneath the slots 8 andtoasting elements 9. This partition may be either a solid plate, asshown, or a ilne mesh screen. Its purpose is to support the lower edgesof the slices, and to prevent crumbs from dropping through to the spacebeneath.

The lower portion of the shell, beneath the partition II, contains achamber I2 having an elongated horizontal opening I3 through atleast oneside of the shell. A removable horizontal tray I4 rests upon the bottomof said chamber, and may be removed and inserted through the opening I3.The chamber and the tray are approximately the full size of the shell.

A horizontal electric heating element I5 is mounted on suitableinsulating supports (not shown) near the top of the chamber I2. A layerof heat insulating material I6 is preferably positioned between saidhorizontal heating element and the partition II, thereby forming abaille to separate the slots 8 from the chamber I2 and to preventburning the lower edges of the slices of bread in said slots. 'I'heheating effect of the horizontal element I5 is preferably controllable,so that it can be used either for warming or keeping warm slices oftoast placed in the tray I4, or for broiling or toasting bread,sandwiches and the like upon said tray. The horizontal heating elementis preferably controlled separately from the lvertical toasting elements9.

Control of the elements 9 and I5 may be accomplished in any suitablemanner, but as an example of one method thereof, I have shown in Fig. 3a diagram of the electrical connections. Electric current is suppliedthrough the usual plug socket I1, .one contact I'Ia of which isconnected by a wire I8 with one terminal 9a of each vertical element 9,and by a, wire I9 with one terminal of each section of the horizontalelement I5, the latter being made up of several separately controlledcoils or sections conventionally indicated at I5a, I5b, and I5c. Theother terminal IIb of the plug socket I'I is connected by a wire 20 withthe common terminal of a three pole switch 2I indicated as having threepairs of contacts 2Ia, 2lb, and 2Ic. The contacts 2Ia are connected by awire 22 with the other terminal 9b of each of the vertical elements 9,the contacts 2lb are connected by a wire 23 with theVv other terminal ofeach of the sections I5a and |5c of the horizontal glement I5, and thecontacts 2 Ic are connected by a Wire 24 with the other terminal of thesection I5b of said horizontal element. Thus the vertical toastingelements are controlled (on or off) by the switch contacts 2 Iaindependently of the horizontal heating element. The latter can beseparately and selectively controlled to provide threedegrees of heat byclosing one or the other or both of the switch contacts 2lb and 2|c. Thecontacts 2ia, 2lb and 24e can be incorporated in any suitable and wellknown form of switch having a single selective control knob 2l, asindicated in Fig. l.

It will be seen from the foregoing that either the vertical toastingelements l or the horizontal element I5 may be used separately, or bothmay be used together. Thus toast may be made in the upper portion of theappliance without using the lower portion, or if it is desired to keepthe toast warm, the horizontal element I5 may be set at low heat, andthe toast, after being made in the upper portion. may betransferred tothe tray il and kept warm in the lower chamber I2. If -it is desired tomake certain forms of sandwiches and the like that require toasting orbroiling on one side only, the horizontal element can be set at mediumor high heat, and such products cooked in the lower compartmenteitherwithout using the upper portion or while ordinary toast is being madetherein.

I claim:

An electric toaster comprising a base. vertical side walls rising fromsaid base, a horizontal top. said walls and top deilning a rectangularshell, one of said side walls having a horizontally elongated aperturein its lower portion, two opposite side walls and said top being formedwith spaced parallel vertical slots. each slot being proportioned as towidth and depth to receive and en velope a slice of bread positioned onedge to be toasted, a horizontal heat insulating partition within saidshell beneath said slots, electric heating elements positionedvertically within said shell, one of said heating elements being posi`tioned on each side of each slot for the purpose of toasting the slicesof bread therewithin, another heating element positioned horizontally insaid `shell immediately below said heat resisting partition, and ahorizontal tray in said shell below said horizontal heating element,said tray being removable through the rst mentioned side wall aperture.

RALPH BAKKER..

